Should I tell my boss before or after work trip?

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ABRain wrote:

I am not sure when I should tell my bosses about being pregnant. I just got promoted and am negotiating my pay increase. They created an entirely new position for me that in the long run will be my own division. There is a fair amount of travel involved especially right now as we are getting everything up and running.

I am 14 weeks now and planned on announcing after my next work trip is over which would put me at 16 weeks. I wanted to wait so I could show them that being pregnant will not effect my performance or ability to do my job. I was reading another post about when to announce and there were a lot of comments about how waiting too long could decrease trust levels with your boss. I am now wondering if I should tell them before the trip.

I personally don’t understand how waiting decreases trust with your boss. It’s your news to tell and you have a right to tell whenever you want! It’s certainly your choice, but I don’t think they should hold it against you whether you tell now before the trip or wait to after. I know some people don’t have very understanding bosses though, which could definitely play a factor in the decision!

I think it depends how you frame it I your conversation with your boss- telling early could be seen as very upfront and forthcoming or could be seen as trying to get out of work. Telling later could be seen as not trusting your boss or withholding information but it could also be viewed as focused on the job at hand and more dedicated. It depends on your work culture, your relationship with your boss, and how you start the conversation.

What’s your personal relationship with your boss? I think that plays a big role. My boss is amazing and very understanding. I had an MMC back in March and he was the only one I told about it. I didn’t have to tell him - my job is so flexible that I could have taken time off suddenly without explaining myself. I’m now 10w5d and going to tell him next week during our annual discussion. I can easily wait longer but I feel like my group is currently undergoing g significant changes and knowing that I’m going to be out for 5 months (maternity leave plus saved up vacation days) would really help him with planning. However, if I wanted longer I know that would not be used against me. So I think timing really depends on your comfort level generally but also on your overall relationship with the management. I think some prior comments regarding trust related to ladies who started new jobs while already pregnant and didn’t disclose pregnancy during interview process.